Exploring the nexus: Foreign aid, war on terror, and conflict in Pakistan

This study explores the nexus between foreign aid, war on terror, and terrorism in Pakistan for the period 1972–2010. By making use of Johansen method of cointegration, the paper concludes that, contrary to the popular assumption, there is no association between foreign assistance and conflict in Pakistan. However, the impact of foreign aid on terrorism is positive in the long run during the war on terror period. Furthermore, the positive impact of GDP on terrorism mirrors the fact that militants consider terrorist attacks a feasible option compare to open war in face of enhanced state capacity. The study also unearths the non-linear U-shape relationship between political repression and violence in the long run.